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For those of you who don't know what LWAIQB is, it's the Late Wednesday Afternoon-ish Quarterback, and it's...just awesome. It's a weekly (we're trying, at least) series on the NFL general board. One of the features I'm looking to implement is a Spotlight series where we interview the fans of one particular team and ask them about how the team is doing. For absolutely no reason at all, I've picked the Bucs to be the first team featured in this series and I'd love to get some of your views on the team.

Hopefully, this can be a really informative series. That's what I'm hoping for.

What do you make of the 38-10 win over Kansas City? This is undoubtedly Tampa Bay's signature performance thus far, a dominant performance on all fronts. What does this game mean going forward?

Josh Freeman has always been a difficult quarterback to figure out, and that could be argued to be the case for 2012 as well. Is his performance this year enough, or does he remain on the hot seat?

What's the reading on Mark Barron and Doug Martin so far?

Is Vincent Jackson living up to his contract?

Is the Aqib Talib era over in Tampa Bay?

How have the Bucs adjusted to the loss of Adrian Clayborn?

The Bucs defense has improved remarkably fron a historically bad season in 2011. What, in your mind, is the main cause for this?

Which recent high draft picks are on track to potentially be busts?

Name one player who you are exicted for, but non-Buccaneers fans are likely unfamiliar with.

The Buccaneers are, if the football purists will allow me to use this phrase, a good 2-3. They're certainly much better than last year, but they might not be able to make a push for the playoffs like they did in 2010. How would you say the Bucs have performed relative to your preseason expectations? Is it okay if 2012 is a year where the team looks good and set for a better future, but that improvement doesn't immediately lead to a lot of wins?

If Josh Freeman doesn't succeed, does Michael Koenen have a future at quarterback?

For those of you who don't know what LWAIQB is, it's the Late Wednesday Afternoon-ish Quarterback, and it's...just awesome. It's a weekly (we're trying, at least) series on the NFL general board. One of the features I'm looking to implement is a Spotlight series where we interview the fans of one particular team and ask them about how the team is doing. For absolutely no reason at all, I've picked the Bucs to be the first team featured in this series and I'd love to get some of your views on the team.

Hopefully, this can be a really informative series. That's what I'm hoping for.

What do you make of the 38-10 win over Kansas City? This is undoubtedly Tampa Bay's signature performance thus far, a dominant performance on all fronts. What does this game mean going forward?

Josh Freeman has always been a difficult quarterback to figure out, and that could be argued to be the case for 2012 as well. Is his performance this year enough, or does he remain on the hot seat?

What's the reading on Mark Barron and Doug Martin so far?

Is Vincent Jackson living up to his contract?

Is the Aqib Talib era over in Tampa Bay?

How have the Bucs adjusted to the loss of Adrian Clayborn?

The Bucs defense has improved remarkably fron a historically bad season in 2011. What, in your mind, is the main cause for this?

Which recent high draft picks are on track to potentially be busts?

Name one player who you are exicted for, but non-Buccaneers fans are likely unfamiliar with.

The Buccaneers are, if the football purists will allow me to use this phrase, a good 2-3. They're certainly much better than last year, but they might not be able to make a push for the playoffs like they did in 2010. How would you say the Bucs have performed relative to your preseason expectations? Is it okay if 2012 is a year where the team looks good and set for a better future, but that improvement doesn't immediately lead to a lot of wins?

If Josh Freeman doesn't succeed, does Michael Koenen have a future at quarterback?

Great win for us. I for one think we could easily be 4-1 but were 2-3. We've lost all of our games by a combined 15 points so we've been in every game. As far as your questions heres my take:

Going forward hopefully this can give us some confidence and propel us on a nice win streak. Coming off the bye we def looked like we worked out the bugs that cost us a couple games. But we did play the 1-5 Chiefs so I dont wana get to excited. But were guna be a competitive team all year I think.

Freeman is def on the hot seat. His future with the team seems to be judge by most fans on a week-to-week basis. Sometimes it feels play-by-play basis. But if the OC Mike Sullivan calls plays to his strenghts, and Freeman doesnt worry about anything and just plays football he can def be our QB for the next 10 years. Not sure if he can do that tho.

Mark Barron has been playing great. He's all over the field and always around the football. A great run stopper and ball hawk. Hopefully guna be a asset to this franchise for awhile. Doug Martin looks ok. Hes def going through some growing pains in the NFL, but he had a nice day today and for the most part has played well. I just expect a lil more out of him.

V Jax is having a great year. Not only is he producing and playing well hes making everyone around him better. Mike Williams is having a bounce back year, and Freeman when he can air it out he usually looks for Jackson and hes come down with the ball more times then not. Very happy with V Jax thus far.

Aqib Talib is all but done in Tampa. Not playing well and cant stay out of trouble. I would cut him sooner but we are so weak at the CB position we still need him through the 2012 season.

Adrian Clayborn is a HUGE playmaker for us. Im not sure if we can overcome his loss completely but we can try to manage. The run defense has been lights out all year, but the pass rush def misses him and the energy he brings.

Gerald McCoy being healthy is without a doubt the main reason why our D has turned around. Hes in his 3rd year now and is def the MVP of our team. Our D goes as he goes as far as im concerned. And guys like Mason Foster and Michael Bennett have stepped up their play tremendously and rookie Lavonte David has been a stud at WLB.

With us it always seems like our high draft picks have one great year and then completely fall off the face of the earth. Gerald McCoy is playing great, Mark Barron is playing great, Josh Freeman has his ups and downs so the verdict is still out on him.

Lavonte David. Hes been a stud at WLB. Gonna be a fixture at that position for awhile for us.

Im not happy with 2-3, but Im not upset either. I easily think we could be 4-1. We just have to learn how to put teams away and play with a lead. Were def on the right track. I feel like we can make a playoff push in 2012.

Michael Koenen is breathing down Freemans neck. His first pass in the NFL went for a TD. Nuff said.

You should PM bucstopshere. He's a writer (and a pretty damn good one). I dunno how his workload is but he has the ability and (obviously) the insight to give you and your readers (ME ME ME, among others) what you're looking for.

Our offense took a big leap forward yesterday. They carried over the momentum from the 2nd half against the Redskins. From the beginning of the game we played a ton of shotgun and we were much more aggressive. Prior to this weekend we saw an offense that was stuck in the stone-age. I-form, ground and pound. When that didn't work we did it some more. It was basic, boring and ineffective. We made a bunch of adjustments offensively during the bye week and we reaped the rewards. Freeman gave Mike Williams and Vincent Jackson a chance to make plays, and they did.

Defensively we didn't do much to pressure Brady Quinn, but our run defense was awesome. Jamaal Charles had nowhere to go.

In a vacuum I don't know if this game tells us too much. We know that we have this kind of potential. Now it's time to show some consistency.

I don't think that Freeman is on the hot seat, but he needs to do more to win some fans back. Everybody in the organization that talks about him says that he is a joy to coach and he has a great work-ethic. Schiano and Sullivan especially hold him in high regard. He is putting in the work and now you are starting to see things come together. Over his last 6 quarters, Freeman is 26/43 for 540 yards (12.56 YPA) with 4 TDs and 1 Int (125.9 QB Rating). Freeman, Sullivan and these WRs are starting to click as they get more comfortable with each other and these offensive concepts. You still see some missed throws (some on Freeman some on the WRs), but he is getting better and more comfortable. That confidence that he had in 2010 is starting to comeback. Unless Freeman really fails hard down the stretch I don't see this organization making a change.

Mark Barron has been even better than any of us had hoped. I think we all expected him to be an enforcer, but he brings a level of consistency that is rare from a rookie. He's a playmaker that is quickly becoming a leader of the defense. Doug Martin hasn't had too much room to run these last few weeks, but he has been pretty good for us. Tough as nails. He has some great feet. We need to get him more involved in the passing game - like we did yesterday. 1-on-1 in space against a LB? I'll take Martin every time.

Jackson has been phenomenal. He is producing on the field, but beyond that he is really helping in the locker room. He has made a real effort to build chemistry with Freeman and he has become a mentor for Mike Williams. He is teaching Williams how to become a professional and a student of the game. Whenever you hear Williams talk about Jackson he always credits Jackson for helping him become a better player. Williams is seeing a lot of 1-on-1 match-ups with Jackson on the other side and he is taking advantage. Jackson was a great pick-up.

At this point I would have to think that Talib is done in Tampa. He's in a contract year and he came into the offseason knowing that he would have a short leash with a new coach. He's so damn talented, but we can't depend on him anymore.

Since Clayborn has gone down we only have one sack as a team so I don't know if we have been able to adjust to Clayborn's loss quite yet. With Clayborn out, Gerald McCoy is being double teamed much more and our pass rush has suffered. Our run defense has still played well, but we are struggling to find a pass rush without Clayborn.

I think there are two main reasons for our defensive turnaround: McCoy is healthy and our LBs are playing downhill (sounds simple, but I'll explain). McCoy is the engine of our defense. When he is running hot we are tough to deal with. His get off is elite and he is relentless. Even when he doesn't get penetration, OLines have to double him which opens things up for the rest of our defense. Our LBs under Raheem Morris were taught to read and react. They would slide with the run action and then come up to make the tackle when the runner reached their gap. When you can't tackle, that's a problem. Our LBs now in Sheridan's defense are playing downhill and knifing through the line to make plays. They don't miss tackles. The difference in style is obvious. I think we lead the league in forcing plays for negative yardage. Mason Foster looks like a new player and Lavonte David doesn't look like a rookie out there.

Brian Price, Arrelious Benn and Myron Lewis are in that bust category already with Da'Quan Bowers potentially following in their footsteps.

I'm excited about Michael Bennett. He has been our most consistent pass rusher this season and he plays the run tough as well. He is enjoying a break out season. I hope that we can lock him up after the season.

In a lot of ways this team has performed better than I expected. I did not expect us to be so competitive this early and I definitely didn't expect our run defense to be this good. Our team is still so young, so yes, I'm happy with our future outlook.

LOL, Koenen. He was so scared. Although it was completely different circumstances, it reminded me of this classic gif...

You should PM bucstopshere. He's a writer (and a pretty damn good one). I dunno how his workload is but he has the ability and (obviously) the insight to give you and your readers (ME ME ME, among others) what you're looking for.

Much appreciated!

Let me knock out my homework and my articles for the day, and I'll hop on this

GatechRaven you want me to post it in here/pm/general it?_________________

Ok I did this without reading DRD's thoughts, I didnt want to mirror it, so it'll be funny to see what he said now....anyways here we go...

What do you make of the 38-10 win over Kansas City? This is undoubtedly Tampa Bay's signature performance thus far, a dominant performance on all fronts. What does this game mean going forward?

Without a doubt this is what all of us as fans have been waiting for. This was the type of ball we expected to see on offense, dating back to last year. The defense continues to surprise me every week, as we keep having guys go down, but continue to make progress. Stopping a legit running back like Charles to under 50 yards will do big things for the confidence of this team. I am still shell shocked on how good they actually did. The biggest thing though is your only as good as YOUR NEXT GAME...Im not worried about the win having a hangover effect, Schiano is a stickler on one game at a time, and focusing at the task at hand

Josh Freeman has always been a difficult quarterback to figure out, and that could be argued to be the case for 2012 as well. Is his performance this year enough, or does he remain on the hot seat?Let's see a couple more games...The last two 2nd halfs he's played?
11/17 (64.7% completions)
212 yards passing (12.47 YPA)
1 TD/0 INT
127.57 QB Rating[/b]

that shows you he can do it. The thing that needs to continue is him trusting his WR's, because it's obvious they will make plays for him, and to move around and out of the pocket. He is so much better when he does that it's crazy. The jury will stay out, but in my opinion Freeman is our guy and will make that step to being a more consistent quarterback. He's never going to be Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady, but he could sure as heck be Ben Roethlisberger, and he needs to remember that.

What's the reading on Mark Barron and Doug Martin so far?
Mark Barron has done great so far. Saban had this kid pro ready. Made very little mistakes so far, and just played his best game to date this past week. The flexibility he gives at the safety position is unheard of. His size is fantastic for making plays at the line of scrimmage, his coverage skills are vastly underrated, and he is a playmaker that makes plays on the ball...He's been everything we have wanted and more.

Doug also just had his best game to date. They finally used him more as the should, in open space and he showed what he can do. It's important they dont try and ride him as much as the did in the early weeks, I think it's important to use both Blount and him, but Martin is exciting to watch and gives us something at RB we've missed since Caddy's knee went out in Carolina...

-Is Vincent Jackson living up to his contract?Absolutely. He's become a team captain, taken over the receivers room and been a great man around the community. Numbers arent too shabby
either through 5 games. The past two weeks you can see the connection that he and Free are building. 10 receptions, 166 yards and 3 tds? Not too shabby for 2 games. I expect that relationship to grow and I see V-Jax getting 1000 yards and 10 touchdowns easily. At this rate there is no reason to think he wont be a probowler

-Is the Aqib Talib era over in Tampa Bay?
Im going to go with no. If anything this made him more likely to return in my opinion. I think that this just helped our contract negotiations and that we can put tons of escalators and stipulations into it. This is the first thing he's done wrong since Schiano came on board, and Schiano has said the team will welcome him back with open arms after his suspension.

How have the Bucs adjusted to the loss of Adrian Clayborn?
They didnt against the Redskins and it killed them, worst defensive game from a run defense standpoint. This week they got Te'o-Nesheim prepared and he filled in. Nothing great but anytime you can walk away with the defensive performance the bucs had on defense past week you can say he did his part. I do know that Bowers injury was misdiagnosed and that he is close to coming back. That would be a huge boost for the team, and help build back that depth.

The Bucs defense has improved remarkably from a historically bad season in 2011. What, in your mind, is the main cause for this?-The main cause? A healthy Gerald McCoy. He is the centerpiece and gets everything going. His disruption and penetrating starts it all. The other piece is fundamentals and WAY better LB play. Foster has improved dramatically and Lavonte David has been playing out of his mind for a rookie.

Which recent high draft picks are on track to potentially be busts?
-Brian Price is the guy that fits this to a T. A pick I never liked, he isnt even playing in the NFL anymore. That can't happen with the 35th overall pick. He was plagues w/some terrible injuries, but that pick could have, and should have been Dunlap. Benn and Lewis are fast approaching that status too, but i'll give them another year before claiming that.

Name one player who you are exicted for, but non-Buccaneers fans are likely unfamiliar with.
Demar Dotson. Kid has taken Truebloods job and RAN with it. Team has been so much better offensively since he took over. Real good story too as the guy didnt even play football until his JR year IN COLLEGE...and when he did? He was a defensive lineman. Got to feel good for a kid that worked and became a starter in the NFL the way he did.

The Buccaneers are, if the football purists will allow me to use this phrase, a good 2-3. They're certainly much better than last year, but they might not be able to make a push for the playoffs like they did in 2010. How would you say the Bucs have performed relative to your preseason expectations? Is it okay if 2012 is a year where the team looks good and set for a better future, but that improvement doesn't immediately lead to a lot of wins?
They are better than I expected. We are two very close games, and one(that we should have one due to a blown call in Dallas) from being 4-1. To tell me that we would have competed this quickly I would have laughed. Especially once you told me we would lose Davin Joesph and Adrian Clayborn for the season. Im not sure if we can make the playoffs, I feel we might barely miss it ala 2010, but man it feels good to finally watch this team again. The key is Freeman, as long as he continues to show progression, we cant worry about the win totals this year.

If Josh Freeman doesn't succeed, does Michael Koenen have a future at quarterback?you better get this lol_________________

What do you make of the 38-10 win over Kansas City? This is undoubtedly Tampa Bay's signature performance thus far, a dominant performance on all fronts. What does this game mean going forward?
- This is by far the best performance we've seen since the Seattle game in week 16 of 2010 when Freeman threw for 300+ yds and 5 TDs. We dominated in every aspect of the game, except maybe special teams (Only because the Cheifs blocked a punt, ehh IDK, either way). Was a little disgusted with the lack of pass rush though, I don't think we really got to QUinn a lot, and that's going to hurt against better QBs, especially with the poor depth at CB for us.

Freeman by far had his best performance of the season and we needed this. Bucs lost 3 games against 3 quality opponents by a combined 15 Points, which is impressive, but we got that label of sitting on leads and failing to close. Well, we didn't sit on the lead, even when it was 21-3 and knew there was no possible comeback for the Cheifs and we still kept pooring it on.

Josh Freeman has always been a difficult quarterback to figure out, and that could be argued to be the case for 2012 as well. Is his performance this year enough, or does he remain on the hot seat?
- Hm, I was a fan of Freeman coming out, but in his 4th year, also his biggest critic. I do agree, it's hard to get a read on this guy. We still don't know if he's 2010 Freeman or 2011 Freeman. To be honest, looking it at an outside perspective, you'd say , YES, he is on the hot-seat. However, if he can continue to build on his performance from Washingtons 2nd half and KC, things will be easier and QB will be an afterthought coming next off-season.

However, it is just 1 game and he needs to stop the poor starts. He still makes horrible decisions with the ball and will have that knack of staring down recievers as well. He needs to continue to work on things. He's got all the physcial tools needed, seems like a smart guy, and likeable guy off the field, but his play needs to be more consistant. He still looks a bit troubled reading defenses at times (see int vs. KC as an example) and his accuracy is sloppy at times too (will make an amazing throw 1 play, then miss a wide open WR by overthrowing him or throwing at his feet the next).

What's the reading on Mark Barron and Doug Martin so far?

- Barron looks like a stud already. Constantly around the ball and is stout in the run game as well. WRs definately are aware where he is and think twice about crossing the middle of the field.

Martin I think can and will be a stud. Many think RB is the easiest position to transistion to, but look at Spiller and Matthews. Both weren't good there rookie seasons. Martin looks very good, but we werent able to pass the ball efficiently the 1st qtr of the season. Yesterday, we passed well and he averaged like 7YPC. Plus, Schiano and Sully got him involved more in the passing game.

Is Vincent Jackson living up to his contract? - Yes. He's doing everything I thought he'd bring. Drawing attention away from Defenders, opening up Mike Williams as a dangerous #2 target. He's also dominated in terms of producing with all that attention as well. His lockerroom presence is key as well. Great signing.

Is the Aqib Talib era over in Tampa Bay?
- Yes. Doesn't matter how cheap he'll be on the market and in terms of negotiating. He's burned this team too many times and really cannot be trusted. I think Talib made Mark Dominik's decision much easier in deciding his future as a Buccaneer.

How have the Bucs adjusted to the loss of Adrian Clayborn?
- Let's say this: The BYE week came at a perfect time. Gave us 2 weeks to get Daniel Teo Neishem adjusted to the game plan and he stood out against KC. Struggled against Washington with little time to prepare. Get to see Bowers in a few weeks, so we'll see. But so far, so good.

The Bucs defense has improved remarkably fron a historically bad
season in 2011. What, in your mind, is the main cause for this?

-Greg Schiano. Enough said.

Which recent high draft picks are on track to potentially be busts?
- Arrellious Benn, Myron Lewis. Easy picks. Deqwan Bowers is more of a huge question mark still, but we will see him this year. Honestly, the only ones we can truly label busts are from 2009 and 2010 and Benn and Lewis come to mind. Price is already out of the league.

Name one player who you are exicted for, but non-Buccaneers fans are likely unfamiliar with.
- Ahmad Black FS: I think sitting behind Ronde is going to do wonders for him when he takes over. He's already a ball-hawk back there, but he's learning from one of the smartest players to play the game.

What do you make of the 38-10 win over Kansas City? This is undoubtedly Tampa Bay's signature performance thus far, a dominant performance on all fronts. What does this game mean going forward?
I don't know if it means much to be quite, honestly we should have dominated that game. Hopefully we start finishing games like that as the season goes on.

Quote:

Josh Freeman has always been a difficult quarterback to figure out, and that could be argued to be the case for 2012 as well. Is his performance this year enough, or does he remain on the hot seat?

At this point, and this is for quarterbacks all over the NFL, I think people ovverreact on quarterback play too often especially on a week to week basis, or even a year to year basis. Romo beats the Giants he is top five - throws five picks Dallas needs to move on, Rodgers has a slow start it is a big deal, Weeden plays awful his first game - bust, Alex Smith has one good year - above average QB, RG3 has better #s than Luck this season - better quarterback. Just stuff like that. Freeman's sophomore year was overhyped IMO and so was last season IMO. Freeman sophomore year was great, don't get me wrong, but the Bucs were safe with him and never had him carry the team the whole game. His sophomore year started out fine, but once the team started to go down the drain so did he.... don't get me wrong he still showed some signs (that Packers game was a beauty), but he just looked as if he was pressing most of the season. I do think the coaching staff takes a lot of responsibility for what happened that year, our offense was the most predictable in the league, our RB situation was a mess, the playcalling was atrocious, and the receivers were atrocious and dropped balls. Not saying he did not leave a lot to be desired, but there were many bigger problems than Josh last season.

This season I like what I am seeing out of Josh. The whole offense is still getting aquatinted with another and I think we're still working on our chemistry and the type of team we want to be, but we are definitely getting there. He started off the year with two good games against Carolina and NYG, had a awful one against the Cowboys (the whole offense did), and he really came on strong against the Skins and Chiefs in the second half. Consistency is still being worked on, but I am definitely a big supporter of Freeman. Sullivan seems to be calling better games and he seems to be responding well, people expect QBs to be great too soon in their careers and forget it took guys like Big Ben and Eli a few years to be the Big Ben and Eli we see now. If Freeman can have some time with the same HC, OC, and receivers I think he'll turn out just fine. Not saying he doesn't have things to work on, but I have confidence in him.

What's the reading on Mark Barron and Doug Martin so far?
Barron has been just phenominal this year, plays like a veteran out there and looks extremely poised. His range is pretty spectacular for a guy his size and he's underrated in coverage. The guy is great at finishing his tackles and can absolutely lay the wood. Dude is a probowl safety in this league for years to come.

Martin, I'm a big fan of his but I don't know if I'd go as far as to call him a stud yet. Our right side of our line has been been real shaky this year and our playcalling has not done him much favors most of the season. I do think he's been overrated on these boards, due to last year us not having a complete back and his versatility really opens up our offense but I don't see him as a first round back just yet. We desperately needed a back with his versatility on this roster though, so it might have been a necessary selection. I do not see him on the hot seat at all, Schiano speaks extremely high of him and he played a big part in our big FA signings this offseason.

Is Vincent Jackson living up to his contract?
Foooshooo. Added a dimension our offense hasn't possessed in a long time and gives us a true #1. Him and Free have developed a strong connection and he's really opened up the field to Mike Williams.

Is the Aqib Talib era over in Tampa Bay?
I honestly don't think so, we'll see how the rest of the year goes. I'll leave it at this, he's done a lot worse and he is still here.

How have the Bucs adjusted to the loss of Adrian Clayborn?
Our pass rush has been a lot less active, but our defense has a whole as really stepped up and made up for his loss. It's gonna hurt more and more as the season goes on, but hopefully we'll make up for it as much as we can.

The Bucs defense has improved remarkably fron a historically bad season in 2011. What, in your mind, is the main cause for this?
1. Coach Schiano brought discipline to this team
2. Gerald McCoy has returned and Foster has improved
3. The additions we made during the offseason

Which recent high draft picks are on track to potentially be busts?
Brian Price already busted (tragic injury and personal problems), Benn's not a bad player but has not done the things a high second rounder should do. Myron is a bust for sure, hasn't done a single thing his whole career. We'll see with Daquan, I think he has the talent but the injuries might kill him.

Name one player who you are exicted for, but non-Buccaneers fans are likely unfamiliar with.
Tiquan Underwood, showed a lot during TC and preseason but did not make the team. He was quickly resigned this seasoned and has made key plays in both of his two games. Might develop into the slot receiver we need.

The Buccaneers are, if the football purists will allow me to use this phrase, a good 2-3. They're certainly much better than last year, but they might not be able to make a push for the playoffs like they did in 2010. How would you say the Bucs have performed relative to your preseason expectations? Is it okay if 2012 is a year where the team looks good and set for a better future, but that improvement doesn't immediately lead to a lot of wins?
They've been kinda what I expected overall performance wise. We have been in every game this season. The big thing for us is to start finishing games we should win.

If Josh Freeman doesn't succeed, does Michael Koenen have a future at quarterback?
Did you see that arm of his? Hell yes.

What do you make of the 38-10 win over Kansas City? This is undoubtedly Tampa Bay's signature performance thus far, a dominant performance on all fronts. What does this game mean going forward?

Right now I don't think it means much because it was KC, but I do think that this game marks the game our offense steps it up with better playcalling. Our whole offense is sooo much better when we throw the ball deep, it just opens everything up. The rest of the NFL knows this, but I suppose our rookie coaches just got it. Hopefully it's a lesson that sticks.

Josh Freeman has always been a difficult quarterback to figure out, and that could be argued to be the case for 2012 as well. Is his performance this year enough, or does he remain on the hot seat?

If he puts out more games like against the Cowboys or the first half against the Skins, then yes. If he keeps up his recent play? No way.

What's the reading on Mark Barron and Doug Martin so far?

Barron is a stud. Martin is solid, but misused IMO. He needs more passes and runs to the outside than going right up the middle.

Is Vincent Jackson living up to his contract?

I think my answer is a little different. I would say yes, but he needs to make catches more consistently. He has a huge contract, he should be catching balls that hit him in the hands.

Is the Aqib Talib era over in Tampa Bay?

I think so. We were all looking forward to CBs for the next draft before the suspension, and now I think it's over.

How have the Bucs adjusted to the loss of Adrian Clayborn?

Pretty poorly.

The Bucs defense has improved remarkably fron a historically bad season in 2011. What, in your mind, is the main cause for this?

I said in a bold prediction thread that our D would be better because of McCoy and Schiano would get the credit. I still think that, but the LB play has done a complete 180. Barron and Barber have been sick at S, too. It's a total defensive effort.

Which recent high draft picks are on track to potentially be busts?

Brian Price is the most notable, and the others have been touched on. I don't think it's fair to list Bowers on there, yet.

Name one player who you are exicted for, but non-Buccaneers fans are likely unfamiliar with.

I can think of 4 answers here: McCoy, Lavonte David, Ronde Barber and Mark Barron. McCoy was written off as a bust due to his injuries and is having a solid year, although he's suffering from a lack of an outside threat. David is a rookie and always making TFL as well as calling the plays for the defense. Barber is 37 and playing like he's 30 at FS, and Barron wasn't popular at the spot he was taken but has looked as good or better than almost every high, non-QB pick IMO.

The Buccaneers are, if the football purists will allow me to use this phrase, a good 2-3. They're certainly much better than last year, but they might not be able to make a push for the playoffs like they did in 2010. How would you say the Bucs have performed relative to your preseason expectations? Is it okay if 2012 is a year where the team looks good and set for a better future, but that improvement doesn't immediately lead to a lot of wins?

We're a more competitive team than I expected originally. If our defense keeps up strong play til the end of the year and the offense gets it going by then too, then I would think we'll be a strong team in 2013, especially if we nail another draft. So yeah, it's ok.

If Josh Freeman doesn't succeed, does Michael Koenen have a future at quarterback?

Some great questions from GaTechRavens. I wont re answer what everyone said but I will say this team has come along way from debacle that was last year, there finally watchable and if they do lose then they can keep it close._________________Adopt a Bucc-
Mike Williams: 63 rec 996 yards 9 td
Roy Miller: 13 tackles 1 PD